Card guide



Sept. 3, 1946. w. A. KRAUS 2,407,020

7 I TIME RECORDER ATTACHMENT AND CARD GUIDE Filed June 6, 1945 William AJfrazzs ,5 F19 3 W attorney Patented Sept. 3, 1946 OFFICE TIME RECORDER ATTACHMENT AND CARD GUIDE I William A. Kraus, Richmond, Va.

Application June 6, 1945, Serial No. 597,842

6 Claims. 1

The invention relates generally to devices for recording time intervals on time cards, cost cards, job cards, and the like; and more particularly to improved means for insuring the accurate positioning of time recordings on such cards, regardless of carelessness or haste on the part of the workman in inserting the card in the recording devices.

Certain time clocks or time recording devices are provided with a horizontal slot for receiving a card, usually with the card in a side-Wise position, and when the card is inserted to the full depth of the slot, the recording mechanism is tripped to record or stamp the instant time on the card. In recording devices in common use the recording mechanism may be tripped manually by manipulating a lever or plate which projects exteriorly of the recording device, or it may be tripped automatically by the card itself on reaching its fully inserted position.

In either event, the card slot is made to allow end-wise adjustment of the card thereon, so that the card may be positioned properly by the workman relative to the recording mechanism to obtain the record or stamp of the instant time on the proper card space or location. Such endwise adjustment of the card is necessary because the proper recording location thereon changes from day to day or from job to job.

Prior recording devices of this type have been provided with an indicating finger or pointer, fixed on the exterior of the device above the card slot, and functioning as a Visual aid to the workman when he inserts the card in the slot. The indicator is positioned in such relation to the recording mechanism, that the workman will obtain a recording at the proper card location if he inserts his card with said location directly under the indicator.

As a further visual aid to the workman, it has been proposed to provide an indicator having contrasting light and dark areas corresponding to similar areas on the card so that the workman can more rapidly position his card in proper relation to the indicator.

All of these visual indicators have been inadequate and unsatisfactory, because the workman is usually in a hurry when he stamps his card, and may be one of a long line of workmen all eager to stamp their cards. This condition is particularly aggravated at the beginning or at the end of a days work or a shift, and results in many of the cards bein improperly or inaccurately positioned when they are stamped, which obviously causes dimculties and errors in accounting and bookkeeping based on the time recordings on the cards.

For example, if a group of fifty or more employees are due to begin work at the same time, and they all arrive at the recording device at about the same time, the resulting congestion and hurry to avoid being late is bound to cause inaccurate recordings on the cards being stamped. Under such conditions, it becomes necessary to install expensive recording machines which automatically position the cards to obtain recordings accurately located in the proper spaces, but the cost of such machines is prohibitive for small concerns.

There are also many cases when employees of unusually low intelligence are not capable of being taught how to use the machine, when only the present visual aids are available. In such case, an employer of a small concern finds it necessary to purchase a more expensive machine, with an automatic card receiver, or, not being able to aiford this expensive machine, must do without one.

Inaccurate recordings resulting from haste and congestion are multiplied in the case of recording devices where the inserted edge of the card automatically trips the recording or stamping mechanism, because the tripping mechanism is so sensitive and operates so quickly that the card frequently actuates the same before reaching its position endwise with relation to the indicator, and thus obtains the recording at an improper location. As a result, production of this type of recording device has been virtually discontinued.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved indicator and a novel card guide for cooperation therewith, whereby the foregoing disadvantages are overcome.

Another object is to provide improved means for guiding a time card or the like into proper position in a recording device.

A further object is to provide improved guide means for a time card, whereby the same is properly positioned in a recording device, without relying solely on a visual adjustment of the card.

Another object is to provide an improved indicator which is easily applied to a standard recording device, for cooperation with card guide means to position the card in said device for making a recording thereon.

A still further object is to provide a novel guide which is adapted to be adjustably mounted on a standard time or job card.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved time card guiding means which overcomes the disadvantages of prior constructions, which obtains all of the foregoing objectives, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and which is easily and eiiectively used by unskilled persons.

These and other objects may be obtained by the improved devices, parts, arrangements, combinations and sub-combinations comprising the present invention, preferred embodiments of which 3 are illustrated and described by way of example in the accompanying drawing and the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improvements of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including in a time recording device having an indicator in fixed relation to the recording mechanism, an outward projection on said indicator which is adapted to be slidably received in a guide detachably mounted for endwise adjustment on a time card, whereby the card is guided while being inserted into the recording device to position the proper card space under the recording mechanism.

Preferred embodiments of the improved construction are shown by Way of example in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a time recording device, showing a card inserted therein for making a recording thereon, said device and said card embodying the improvements comp-rising the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof, with parts shown in cross section as on the line 2-*2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a time card having the novel guide means of the present invention detachably mounted thereon.

Fig. 4 is a detached isometric view of the improved indicator for recording devices; and

Fig. 5 is a detached isometric view of the novel card guide which is adapted to cooperate with the indicator shown in Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts t11r0ughout the several views of the drawing.

The recording device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is an inexpenseive type which is in common use as a job time recorder or as a pay roll time clock for relatively small groups of workmen or employees. The recording device includes a housing 6 supported upon a base i, a clock indicated at 8 being supported in the upper portion of the housing and readable from the front side thereof.

The housing 8 is provided with a card-receiving slot 5.! opening at the front side of the housing, and the bottom surface of the slot may be a flat table or platen $0 for supporting the card in a horizontal position. As shown at H, the housing may be recessed above the slot 9 so as to expose a greater portion of the card when it is inserted in the slot.

An ordinary time card, such as shown at l2 in Fig. 3, is shown inserted into the slot 9 in Figs. 1 and 2 in position to receive a recording along its inner edge portion, as for example, in the space 13. As shown in Fig. 3, similar spaces l3ar. have already been stamped with figures representing the time when the workmen checked in or out, followed by the date.

The recording device is provided on its recessed portion with an exterior indicator plate or pointer M, preferably located centrally of the recording device, and this plate is located directly in front of the recording or stamping mechanism within the device, as a visual aid to a workman inserting his card to proper position for being recorded at a desired location thereon. In other words, if the recording on the card 12 is to be made on the space It, the workman would insert his card sidewise into the slot 9 so that the space l3 would be directly under the indicator plate 14 in order to obtain the recording on that space. Once the card is fully inserted, the recording mechanism is tripped to stamp the card, and this is done in several ways, depending upon the particular type of recording device.

In the device shown in the drawing, the recording or stamping mechanism is tripped by exerting a slight inward pressure on the projecting plate l5, the pressure being applied by the workman as he holds his card in the device. Other types of machines are provided with an outwardly projecting hand lever at the lower front side of the device, which is manipulated by the workman. Still other types of machines are arranged so that the stamping mechanism is tripped by one or two tiny triggers at the back of the card slot, so that when the time card is fully inserted in the slot, the triggers are engaged by the inner edge of the card to trip the stamping mechanism. This latter type necessarily has very delicate and sensitive tripping mechanism, with the result that the stamping mechanism is apt to become tripped prematurely While the Workman is inserting his card and before it is fully positioned in proper location to receive the recording.

The parts thus far described are well-known and have been in common use, and do not in themselves form any part of the present invention, although they may enter into certain combinations which include the present improvements.

The present invention includes a novel guide indicated generally at l6, which is adapted for easy attachment by the workman or employee to the outer edge of a time card I3, and which is adapted for cooperating with a projecting indicator shown generally at l'i positioned on the exterior of the recording device in fixed relation to the recording or stamping mechanism therein. The indicator I! may include an indicator plate M of usual construction and having a screw hole l8 permitting the insertion of a screw IQ for attaching the plate tothe outer surface of the housing 5 of the recording device.

A projecting finger or indicator 20 is attached at its rear end to the plate l4 and projects outwardly therefrom at right angles thereto. As best shown in Fig. 2, the bottom edge of the finger 20 closely overlies the time card I2 when the same is inserted in the card-receiving slot 9. The plate [4 with the finger 20 thereon is positioned directly in front of the recording or stamping mechanism, so that the portion of the card directly under the finger 29 receives the stamp when the mechanism is tripped.

The novel card guide l6 has a flat top plate 2| adapted to overlie the card, and a bottom plate or flange 22 for extending under the card, plates 2| and 22 being joined .together at the edge 23 to form a U-shaped slot 24 of such width as to frictionally engage or grip a time card [3 when forced over the edge portion thereof.

As shown in Fig. 3 the guide I6 is applied to the outer edge 25 of the card, that is, the edge opposite to the spaces 13 where the recordings are to be made.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the top plate 2| of the guide is provided with openings 26, and where the time card has spaces |3b marked along its outer edge portion 25 which are in alignment with the spaces 13, the openings 26 may be made of such width as to register with the marked spaces l3b one on each side of the space l3 to be marked, and thus aid in indicating to the workman the position of the guide with respect to the spaces I3 of the card.

The top plate 2| of the guide is provided with guiding elements 21 which project forwardly, or toward the inner edge of the card, and these elements 2! .are preferably spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the projection or finger 20. The inner edges-of the elements 2'! are preferably curved at their outer ends as shown at 28, to facilitate entering the finger 20 into the guide slot 29 between the elements, and for the same reason the outer edge portion 30 of the finger 20 is also curved as shown.

The thickness of the top portion 2| of the guide I6 is such that with the guide attached to the card, when the card is inserted in the slot 9 of the housing, the inner edges of the elements 21 along the guide slot 29 will slidably engage the lower edge portion of the finger 20, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The guide I6 may be suitably made of material which is light in weight, such as plastic material, and may also be transparent if desired. Such material is well adapted for this use because it will not mar or score the card surface.

In the operation of the invention, each time card is preferably provided with one of the novel guides l6, and may be attached thereto all during the time the card is in use. When the workman or employee obtains his card from its usual box or file preparatory to checking in or out on the recording device, he merely slips or adjusts the guide endwise of the card until the slot 29 is directly opposite the space l3 to be stamped. The positioning of the guide IS with the space 29 opposite the space I3 is facilitated by registering the apertures 26 with like spaces HD on each side thereof. Thus, the positioning of the guide 16 on the card is a very simple and easy operation, and may be done in a very few seconds by the workman as he approaches the recording device or as he stands in line awaiting his turn to check in.

When the workman inserts his card into the recording device, he merely starts the guiding elements 21 inwardly along the finger 20, so that its lower edge is received in the guide slot 29 as the card is inserted. Once the card is inserted, the stamping mechanism is tripped by pressing the plate l5, and the recording is bound to be made on the proper space I3. This result is just as readily obtained if the stamping mechanism is tripped by a lever or by a sensitive trigger mechanism within the card-receiving slot.

The operation of inserting the card is thus greatly speeded up, without any likelihood of error or inaccuracy in obtaining the recording thereon, and the result is that a much larger number of workmen or employees may record their cards in a given space of time, withoutcausing any errors or inaccuracy in making the recordings.

Thus, in many instances, even large concerns employing 100 or more people, are able to use the less expensive recorder in combination With the improved card guide and attachment, because the use of these devices, in combination with the less expensive machine, especially of the trigger trip type, will enable a great many more employees to registers their time cards more speedily and yet accurately position them.

The present improvements provide for positioning time cards accurately in a recording device, without relying solely on a visual adjustmentof the card by the workman, and the invention is very simple and inexpensive to manuracture and is easy and eifectively used by unskilled persons.

Moreover, the present improvements are easily and inexpensively applied to standard recording devices utilizing standard time or job cards.

The terms used in the foregoing description are utilized for descriptive purposes and not for the purpose of limitation, and are intended to be broadly construed.

Having now described the features of the invention, the construction, arrangement and operation of a preferred embodiment of the improved time recorder attachment and card guide, and the new and useful results attained thereby; the parts, elements, combinations and sub-combinations, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a time recording device having a card-receiving slot and an indicator in fixed relation to the recording mechanism, a pro- J'ection on said indicator, and a guide adapted for being detachably mounted on a card for slidably engaging said projection to position the card endwise when the card is inserted sidewise into said slot.

2. In combination, a time recording device having stamping mechanism and a card-receiving slot, an outwardly projecting indicator located above said slot in fixed relation to said stamping mechanism, and a guide adapted for being mounted for endwise adjustment on a card for slidably engaging said projecting indicator as said card is inserted sidewise into said slot.

3. Guide construction for a time card adapted for sidewise insertion into a time recording device, including a top portion overlying the card and having a guiding element adapted to register with a projecting indicator located in fixed relation to the recording mechanism of said recording device, said top portion extending from the outer side edge of the card inwardly thereof, and means extending from the outer edge of said top portion inwardly under said card and frictionally engaging the same.

4. Guide construction for a time card adapted for sidewise insertion into a time recording device, including a fiat top portion and a bottom portion spaced therefrom a distance sufficient to receive and frictionally hold a time card between said portions, said portions being joined at their outer edges for abutting the outer edge of said card, and said top portion having a guide element adapted for registering with projecting means on said recording device to position the card therein.

5. A guide for a time card adapted for sidewise insertion into a time recording device, including a fiat top plate for overlying the card and having a guiding element for registering with a projecting indicator on said recording device, and flange means connected to and extending below said top plate for frictionally gripping the card to mount the guide at a desired location endwise thereon,

6. A guide for a time card adapted for sidewise insertion into a time recording device, including a slotted guide element for overlying the card and for straddling a projecting indicator on the recording device as the card is inserted therein, and flange means on said guide for frictionally gripping the card to mount the guide at a desired location endwise thereon.

WILLIAM A. KRAUB. 

